Suffragism
Etymology
From “suffrage,” the right to vote, from Latin “suffragium,” a vote or voting-tablet. Notably, “suffragette” began around 1906 as a belittling diminutive coined by a London newspaper to mock militant campaigners — who promptly adopted it. The “-ette” ending, usually marking something smaller or lesser, was reclaimed as a badge of pride.
noun · /SUF-ruh-jizm/
The movement to win women the right to vote, especially in Britain and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
What it names
One of the defining civil-rights struggles of the modern era and a case study in how mockery can be turned into a rallying identity.
Example
Her grandmother had chained herself to railings at the height of suffragism.
Related idea
Distinguish the peaceful, constitutional “suffragists” from the more militant “suffragettes”; both pursued the same suffrage but split sharply over tactics.